Fatal Revenge
by Koorinoen
Summary: This is written as an English assignment and was done in one night, so... Anyway. This is a modern version of Hamlet as a mystery. The president was murdered and it was up to his son to find out the murderer and take revenge. Please R/R![complete]
1. chapter 1

1  
  
The light was barely enough to read the headline: Presidential Marriage.  
  
With a blank face, Harry Hamlet Jr put the front page into his front page collection over the past six months. The other front pages read:  
  
President Died of Stroke.  
  
Claudius: Temporary President.  
  
Gertrude Hamlet: Second-Time First Lady.  
  
Life was really dramatic. Six months ago, with his father's death, Harry Hamlet was no longer the son of the President; now with the marriage of his mother, he became a member of the first family again. This was too dramatic.  
  
Hamlet always wanted a stable life, but he never had one. From his childhood, his family moved from place to place due to his father's political career. During most of his father's four years as the President, he studied criminal psychology in Tokyo, Japan. Just two months after his return and became the youngest agent of FBI, his father died.  
  
He never imagined his first case would be the assassination of his father. It was reported to the public that the President died of stroke, but he and people related to the case knew that the President was poisoned. They knew the poison used was brucine, a poison that would cause the same symptom as stroke, they suspect the poison was put into the juice glass which the President used during breakfast. They had no clue about the criminal.  
  
Hamlet finished his coffee and left his apartment. Today was his mother's wedding day, but he still dressed in black. 


	2. chapter 2

2  
  
"Harry, are you listening to me?" Henry Horatio yelled into Hamlet's ear.  
  
"No." The answer was cold simple, as usual, but as a good friend, Horatio got used to it already.  
  
"Well, listen now. I know you are not interested, but this is our job."  
  
"I know, but that dream bothers me."  
  
"Come on, hypothesis is more realistic than your dream."  
  
"But we don't have the proof, do we? We don't know if the poison was really put into the juice glass."  
  
"OK, OK, let's talk about your dream."  
  
Hamlet leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. "It was just darkness, and he just floated there. He looked at me with so much sorrow in his eyes, then he asked me to revenge his death. I said that I will, but he shook his head and said 'Claudius'. After that he just disappeared."  
  
"I will interpret your dream for you now. You are just upset about your mother getting married."  
  
"No, I'm.... Well, six months is too fast, but I know the dream means something else."  
  
"Come on, you, Claudius has a perfect alibi. He was not in the city while the whole thing happened."  
  
"How do we know the poison had to be in the glass?"  
  
"OK, brucine will show the effect within 30 to 45 minutes. The only thing your father ate within that range was his breakfast. Both your mother and the attendant remembered your father complained that the orange juice was biter. Brucine is supposed to be bitter. Your mother tried the orange juice and said it was not bitter and she was all right. So the poison has to be in the glass. See?"  
  
"Is there no way to delay the effect?" "Not that I know of."  
  
Hamlet folded his arms across his chest and wrapped in thoughts again.  
  
"Something is not right." He murmured to himself. 


	3. chapter 3

3  
  
In the airport, a young man was about to board the plane to Los Angeles.  
  
"Well, Laertes, you'd better get going. I don't think Dad is coming." Ophelia Polonius said to her brother, Laertes. Laertes just returned from Japan eight months ago, now he worked in the LA office of FBI. He knew his father, Phil Polonius, chief of FBI was not likely to come, but he wanted to take his chance.  
  
"OK, I have to go." He finally gave up. "Remember what I told you about Harry Hamlet, don't take him too seriously, OK?"  
  
"I know, I know" Ophelia started to regret that she came to see him off. "You take care in LA." She got really annoyed when her family talked about her relationship with Harry Hamlet Jr., because they never said a kind word about it. She was 20 years old, and she didn't need overprotective parents anymore.  
  
However, what her brother had just told her seemed to ring a bell in her brain. She was in her third year of university and was studying to be a botanist. Hamlet was now the youngest agent of FBI and was doing the most dangerous work. Sometimes the job as a federal agent did bring danger to people around him.  
  
Ophelia shook her head and tried to shake this thought away. She sighed and started working on her Rosemarie, pansies, daisies.... Ikebana was her hobby. 


	4. chapter 4

4  
  
"Horatio!" Hamlet raced into the office.  
  
Horatio looked up.  
  
"Are you alone in the office right now?" Hamlet asked.  
  
"I supposed I am."  
  
"I think I found the breaking point."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Just watch this tape."  
  
Hamlet played a tape on VCR. The video was taped through the camera in the president's sitting room on the day of the President's death. The first lady walked in and put a bunch of pills on the table. Fifteen minutes later, the President came in and took the pills.  
  
"Do you see anything?" Hamlet asked.  
  
"Something is not right, but I am not sure." Horatio said.  
  
"Well, let's watch it again."  
  
During the second time, just before the President entered, Horatio jumped up and yelled.  
  
"The pen on the table!"  
  
"Yes, its tip pointed to the window at first, then all of sudden it pointed to the door."  
  
"Someone had stopped the camera for some reason."  
  
"Here is my hypothesis. My mother promptly put medicine on the table after she got up everyday, then 15 to 20 minutes later my father would come out and took them. The criminal could have timed the camera the night before so the camera would stop for 5 to 10 minutes after the entrance of my mother. The criminal got into the sitting room and put a capsule of brucine in the pills. My father wouldn't notice it. The criminal probably put some bitter tasting powder, probably goldthread powder into the orange juice the night before. That was why my father complained about the bitter orange juice and we got the illusion of the poison was in the glass."  
  
"Then why didn't the first lady complain about the bitter orange juice."  
  
"The criminal must know two habits in my family. My mother always drink black coffee for breakfast and my parents never drink from the same container. After drinking bitter black coffee, you won't notice the bitterness of goldthread powder."  
  
"I see."  
  
"By the time my parents finished breakfast, it would be about three hours after my father took the medicines. The coating of the capsule would dissolved in my father's stomach and the poison showed its effect."  
  
"So the criminal must also know about your parent's habit of late breakfast."  
  
"Exactly. Doesn't all of these condition fit Claudius?"  
  
"Yes. But do you have proof?"  
  
"No, but I am going to get them." Hamlet took a deep breath. "Henry, I am going to take sick leave for a while."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"For psychological diseases. So I can stay in the White House and watch Claudius. I will tell you what my plan is." 


	5. chapter 5

5  
  
Three months later.  
  
"Harry!" A girl in her early teens ran up the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Sarah!" Hamlet smiled at his younger sister, Sarah Hamlet. "Are you ready to show mom your big movie?" Sarah belonged to the film club in her school, and recently they had just made murder mystery film. The script was written by Hamlet.  
  
"Our big movie."  
  
"Right. But you didn't tell your director who wrote the script, did you?"  
  
"Of course no. I told them that I found it on the Internet."  
  
"Good girl, now go do your homework."  
  
Watched Sarah race through the hallways, Hamlet let out a deep sign. Ever since he took sick leave for psychological diseases, including depression, it seemed that he really got depression. He found himself useless. He knew who the murderer was, but he just couldn't do anything. What angered him more was he often thought of death. How could him think of death even before the revenge for his father was completed?  
  
He walked down the stairs and run into Ophelia. Ophelia stopped responding his letters and stopped seeing him after he took his sick leave. However she was supposed to be here since she and her father was invited to Sarah's movie night.  
  
Hamlet tried to avoid her, but she came up to him.  
  
"Harry," she held out a bundle of letters to him, "Take your letters back."  
  
Hamlet glanced at the camera on the wall. This was too obvious, wasn't it? Gertrude and Claudius had been using every way to found out the cause of his "madness". Now they used Ophelia.  
  
The guilty look on Ophelia's face stopped a speech from coming out his mouth. He just glared at Ophelia and said: "I never give you any of these and I don't know you. Get lost."  
  
Ophelia froze in the middle of the hallway, watched Hamlet walking away.  
  
In another part of the building, Claudius and Polonius watched the conversation between Ophelia and Hamlet.  
  
"Looked like Ophelia was not the cause." Claudius said.  
  
"Then we will use the second plan." Polonius answered. 


	6. chapter 6

6  
  
Hamlet led Horatio into the President's bedroom. There was no camera in this room.  
  
"Henry, during the movie, observe the President closely. If he react to the plot in the movie, then my guess would be right."  
  
"I see."  
  
  
  
Later that night, the first family, Polonius, Ophelia and Horatio were watching Sarah's movie. The movie was about the assassination of a Japanese Prime Minister. The process was exactly the same as Hamlet described to Horatio.  
  
When the Prime Minister complained about the bitter orange juice, Claudius suddenly stood up.  
  
"Honey?" Gertrude asked.  
  
"I am having a headache." Claudius said with cold sweat all over his face. "You guys go on." He stumbled out of the room and almost tripped himself as he was in the doorway. Hamlet and Horatio exchanged a look and directed their attention to the movie.  
  
Several minutes later, Hamlet suddenly whispered to Horatio: "He is praying."  
  
When the movie was about to finish, Hamlet whispered again: " We have the proof now." Then he pulled out a mini-recorder from his jacket. Horatio nodded. 


	7. chapter 7

7  
  
"Harry, I wish to speak to you." First lady said after the movie. "Come to my bedroom."  
  
In the bedroom, Hamlet glanced through all the walls. There was no camera.  
  
"Harry, what's been bothering you?"  
  
"You." Another simple and cold answer.  
  
"Come on, stop it. Something must been bothering you. I know you are not that mad right now, answer me." First lady became impatient.  
  
Hamlet glared at her and walked to the balcony. He was sure there wouldn't be any cameras. The First Lady followed him.  
  
"I gave you an honest answer. You are bothering me." He said as he was on the balcony.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, what do you mean, lady, by being the first lady second time?"  
  
First Lady's face grew dark. "Harry, you don't understand. This is politics."  
  
"Does marriage mean nothing to you than politics?"  
  
"Of course that's not the case. If I marry for politics, why would I marry your father?"  
  
"Then why would you marry him then? You know my father was assassinated, but you didn't even wait for the murderer was captured. Or do you know something about it? You know who the murderer is and you participated in it as well?"  
  
"No, no. What are you talking about? I don't know who the murderer is! I-"  
  
"Really? Well, I know the murderer is your husband!"  
  
"Harry, you are insane!"  
  
"I'm not! I can reason as well as you do, maybe even better, and I have the proof for what I just said!" Out of excitement, Hamlet pushed a pot plant off the handrail. With a dull crash sound and a scream, someone fell with the plant. Both Hamlet and Gertrude froze for a while.  
  
"Is that the president?" Hamlet finally asked.  
  
"No, that was Polonius."  
  
"I see. The guard is going to come up pretty soon."  
  
"Harry, you just said you've got the proof-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So you're sure-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Gertrude nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
The footsteps of the guard could be heard.  
  
"Don't tell the President that I am pretending to be mad." 


	8. chapter 8

8  
  
Several day after.  
  
Hamlet walked into President's office.  
  
"You asked for me?"  
  
"Yes." Claudius stood up and walked away from his desk. "I am sorry to tell that Sarah was kidnapped."  
  
"Sarah was kidnapped?"  
  
Claudius nodded. "A rescue team was about to be made. I know you are on sick leave, but could you please-"  
  
"I will join the rescue team." Hamlet walked out right away.  
  
A sneer spread across the President's face.  
  
"There goes another KIA (killed in action)."  
  
  
  
Two days later.  
  
The door opened again, this time, Gertrude went in. She stood for a while, then said: "Ophelia committed suicide."  
  
Claudius startled as well. "How?"  
  
"It seemed that she had suffered from depression since her father's death. Last night she just slit her wrist. Before she died she spread cherry blossoms around her."  
  
"Beautiful and short lived. Just like herself." Another voice said from behind the door. The door opened, and the owner of the voice, Laertes walked in.  
  
Claudius sighed. "Gertrude, leave us a while."  
  
Gertrude did so. Claudius and Laertes were left alone in the office.  
  
"Why is Hamlet not punished?" Laertes asked.  
  
"It was manslaughter."  
  
"So my father died of nothing?"  
  
"No, Hamlet is in a rescue action right now. He will be killed in it."  
  
Just then the bell rang and the secretary's voice came in: "Mr. President, telephone form Harry Hamlet."  
  
Claudius had no choice but to pick it up.  
  
"Mr. President. Sarah is safe now." It was Hamlet's voice.  
  
"Thank god!" Claudius tried to sound relieved. "How is everyone else?"  
  
There was a few seconds of silence, then came a simple, cold answer: "Dead."  
  
"Oh. That was-"  
  
"I will come back as quick as I can." Hamlet hanged up.  
  
"Looks like your plan failed." Laertes said.  
  
"Hmm. But I will soon have another. Will you help?"  
  
"As long as Hamlet get punished, or killed, I would sacrifice my life."  
  
"Hmm." Claudius stood up and paced a few steps. "I heard you are a kendo master. Hamlet knows some kendo too. So how about a match between you two."  
  
"How am I supposed to kill him then?"  
  
"He will use a wooden sword, but you will use a real sword with a wooden sheath. At appropriate opportunity, you can just draw the sword and kill him. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yes, and I will also smear antiar on the blade, so any wound will be mortal."  
  
"Good, and a back up plan, I will prepare poisoned drink for him."  
  
"So now we wait upon his return." Laertes stood up and left. After he closed the door behind him, he pulled a mini-recorder from his jacket and turned it off. 


	9. chapter 9

9  
  
The match was held two days later.  
  
"Can you win?" Horatio asked Hamlet as the latter put on his mask.  
  
"I'm not sure. When we were in Japan Laertes was a better swordsman, but I never stopped practicing since I came back." Hamlet took off his jacket. A dried cherry blossom fell out his pocket.  
  
"What's that?" Horatio picked it up, but Hamlet took it away from him quickly.  
  
"Well," Hamlet studied the flower carefully. "This is was found in Ophelia's hand when she died."  
  
"Harry, if you-"  
  
"He'll pay for it." Hamlet said firmly and glanced at the President at the other end of the room. "It's all his fault. He'll pay for it, I swear."  
  
Hamlet picked up a wooden sword and walked to the middle of the wooden floor. Laertes was already waiting. The audience was only the first family and several close friends. The First lady waved to Hamlet. Hamlet waved back.  
  
The opponents faced each other and bowed. The swords gently touched and the match started. Laertes was the challenger, therefore he was the first to attack. Hamlet dodged and with a change of position of sword, the attack was blocked. Hamlet didn't seem to have a much initiative, but suddenly, there was a space left open by Laertes' attack. Hamlet thrust forward until the tip of his sword touched Laertes' mask.  
  
"Face!" Hamlet shouted.  
  
Same thing happened in the second round, with a duck of body and a turn, Hamlet slashed Laertes' waist.  
  
If Hamlet win the next round, Laertes would be lost.  
  
Just as Claudius felt lucky that he had a back up plan, to his horror, he saw Gertrude picked up that poisoned beverage and drank.  
  
The third round had started. Hamlet thrust forward. Laertes remained motionless until the last second, and then he suddenly drew the sword out of the wooden sheath. It was so fast that one could only see a flash. "Batto Jutsu! (Art of pulling sword)" Hamlet exclaimed, but there was no way to dodge, the blade cut through Hamlet's right arm. At the same time, Hamlet had disarmed Laertes as well.  
  
Everything happened so fast that no one was able to stop them. Hamlet picked up Laertes's real sword, and backed up a few meters. He held the sword with his left hand, held it parallel to the ground, his right hand gently supporting the tip of the sword. With his knees and body bent, he was ready to thrust.  
  
"Gatotsu!(Teeth Thrust)" Before Laertes could finish, the blade already went through his shoulder.  
  
The First Lady suddenly stood up and fell on the floor. Hamlet left Laertes on the ground and raced to Gertrude.  
  
"Poison, Harry, poison." The First lady muttered her last word.  
  
"The First Lady was poisoned!" Hamlet stood up, "Close the door, the murderer must still be here."  
  
"The murderer is the President." Laertes struggled to his feet. "He poisoned the drink." Claudius stood up, ready to defend himself.  
  
"I have proof. I taped our conversation when we were making up the plan. Hamlet, you are poisoned as well. The blade was smeared with poison. And silly me, fell into my own trap. Just get the tape and listen to it."  
  
"Laertes-"  
  
"Don't look at me like that. After all, I am an agent as well."  
  
While everyone's attention was on Laertes, sound of gunshot cracked and echoed in the hall.  
  
Claudius fell to the floor. The gun was in Hamlet's hand.  
  
"For my parents and Ophelia." He whispered, then dropped the gun. "It is finally done."  
  
No one was conscious enough to move or say anything.  
  
"Henry, you know where the tape is, you will tell my story, won't you?"  
  
Horatio nodded.  
  
Hamlet turned to the window, and smiled at the setting sun. As he smiled, the entire hall was shaded in red.  
  
"Then the rest is silence."  
  
Author's note:  
  
Haha. Thanks for reading. As I said before, this was rushed out in one night, so its style is different from my normal style of writing.  
  
About the Kendo duel. I am a Rurouni Kenshin (Japanese comic) fan, so, er, well..  
  
Thanks for reading again. Please REVIEW! 


End file.
